Office: Mish ee twie 1325E
Phone:  509-883-9922
Email: klau@wvc.edu 

Kris Lau, PhD, LMHC, was hired as full-time faculty and program director/coordinator for the new BAS Behavioral Health degree in 2024.

Kris is an experienced educator, having taught in BAS programs at both Seattle Central College and Lake Washington Institute of Technology.  Kris is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington, with clinical experience spanning more than 15 years.  She has worked in private practice and has provided both inpatient and outpatient counseling for adult clients with severe and persistent mental health issues and disorders. Her experience includes psychotherapy with toddlers, teens, adults and older adults, those with development and physical challenges, TBI, chronic pain and multiple and chronic physical health issues in a myriad of settings including in-home, facility and community based, at community mental health agencies, hospitals, in-patient, group homes, retirement homes, assisted living facilities, adult family homes and skilled nursing facilities. 

Kris moved to Wenatchee in August and is originally from north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, by way of Germany, upstate New York, and Seattle. 

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology, Saybrook University
• M.A., Counseling Psychology, City University of Seattle
• Dual B.A., Advertising Psychology and German Language and Literature, Newhouse School of Communications and College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University
• Graduate Certificate in Teaching Adult Learners, Portland State University (18 credits)
• Graduate Certificate in Chemical Dependency Counseling, City University of Seattle (15 credits)

 

Courses Taught

Dr. Lau will teach the upper division courses for the BAS-BH degree.

Publications/Awards

• "The Secret Superpower of Invisibility:  Empowering Older Women to Embrace Their Authentic Selves – A Narrative Inquiry Dissertation" published to ProQuest
• "Holistic Mental Health and Wellness Treatment Models for Older Adults, A Literature Review"
• "A Narrative Study of Invisibility for Baby Boomer Women in the Pacific Northwest Dissertation Proposal and Pilot Study"
• "Effects of Ageism on Older Adults’ Mental Health:  A Literature Review"
• "Integrative Research Project:  An Examination of Depression in the Elderly and Best-in-Class Treatment Approaches"